DPR seals 70 filling stationsÂ in Delta State

The Warri Zonal Office of the Department of Petroleum Resources &lpar;DPR&rpar;&comma; has sealed 70 filling stations for alleged sharp practices in parts of Delta in the past six weeks&period;

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The Operations Controller of the zone&comma; Mr Antai Asuquo&comma; made the disclosure saying that the stations were sanctioned for hoarding&comma; under-dispensing&comma; over-pricing&comma; abandonment and diversion of products&period;

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He said that the stations were sealed in Warri&comma; Ughelli&comma; Sapele&comma; Ozoro&comma; Olleh&comma; Kwale&comma; Agbor&comma; Obiaruku and Asaba&period; According to him&comma; the 70 stations are part of over 446 filling stations visited by the department’s surveillance team&period;

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He said that fuel was given to motorists in two of the 70 filling stations at no cost because the stations were hoarding products&period;

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“The exercise is a continuous one until the petroleum marketers complied with government’s approved pump price of N145 per litre&period; It is not our intension to seal a petrol station that has products but the products should be sold to the public at the regulated pump price&period; The premium motor spirit remains a regulated product and the price is N145 per litre&period; The marketers have their complaints but the Petroleum Product Marketing Company &lpar;PPMC&rpar; imports and sells product to the depot owners at the regulated price of N133&period;28k per litre&period; So if marketers know that they cannot sell at the approved price of N145 to customers&comma; they should not buy&period;”

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Asuquo urged marketers&comma; who indulged in sharp practices to desist from it because the regulatory agency would continue to go after them until full compliance was attained&period; The controller also warned depot owners against selling products above the ex-depot price as well as selling to third parties&period;